They reached the peak once more and finished setting up the magic telescope, star charts, and mana resonance detectors—tools Astrid insisted were essential for properly witnessing the comet.
She adjusted the telescope to ensure it was aligned with the predicted trajectory of Zen’s Comet.
Meanwhile, Ezra, Arnold and Ethan set up a small observation station, placing mana crystals to stabilize the energy fluctuations.
Besides stargazing, the trip more or less served as a form of training for mages.
In other parts of the world, people gathered in large crowds at specific locations just to witness and experience the comet’s effects.
There was no guarantee that the effects would be permanent. It was all based on rumors.
However, those who claimed to have felt the comet’s energy were said to have become powerful mages.
To increase their chances, this kind of special ritual was made.
Astrid adjusted the telescope as she peered through the lens. “Alright, that should do it,” she said with a satisfied nod.
Sophia busied herself laying out blankets and snacks, declaring, “If we’re going to be stargazing, we might as well be comfortable.”
Charlotte double-checked the mana compass to track the comet’s mana signature, while Elysia carefully adjusted a light-filtering barrier to reduce any miniscule light pollution.
“Everything seems stable so far, Astrid,” Charlotte said.
“Mhm.” Astrid nodded, glancing at her pocket watch.
Through the telescope, the comet was already visible as a glowing streak against the dark sky. She adjusted the focus slightly before speaking.
“According to the calculations, it should become bright enough to see with the naked eye in about an hour.”
Sophia, sitting comfortably on a blanket, groaned. “An hour? What are we supposed to do until then?”
“We wait.”
* * *
Meanwhile, Vanitas made his way to the other side of the peak, away from where Astrid and the others were gathered.
He had come well-prepared, carrying several items to buff him.
Perhaps it was reckless, but great rewards required great risks.
The night air was cool, and the mana density in the atmosphere continued to rise. Checking his mana detector, he observed the readings.
“23%.”
The highest recorded mana fluctuation during the comet’s passing was 43%.
But regardless, he could already feel its effects.
——「Buffs Enabled」——
「Magic Stardust」
◆ Revitalizes mana quality upon inhalation and temporarily increases capacity.
———
Vanitas glanced at his status.
◆ Capacity: 15990/15990
His mana had increased by 23%.
And it was still climbing.
Along with it, Vanitas had several buffs active.
——「Buffs Enabled」——
◆ Accelerates mana recovery over extended use.
◆ Enhances mana detection within 500 meters
◆ Significantly enhances the potency and efficiency of spells.
◆ Reduces mana consumption by 15%.
◆ Gradually enhances physical endurance and stamina.
◆ Provides a short burst of acceleration when activated.
◆ Increases natural mana resilience by 10%.
.
.
It wasn’t even the end of it. There were so many more buffs active at the moment under a strict five hour timer.
After all, the possibility of something going wrong was always on his mind. Perhaps, taking extra precautions had simply become second nature to Chae Eun–woo.
Tak. Tak. Tak.
With his movements, enhanced with a specific movement buff, Vanitas traversed the forest.
Swoosh——!
Each time a beast crossed his path, he eliminated it effortlessly with a Windblade.
The spell’s power was far more controlled, and thanks to the 「Magic Stardust」 buff, its output was much more lethal and efficient than ever.
The increased mana quality made casting feel almost effortless. His reserves hardly felt depleted.
The daggers he had placed earlier marked key areas, alerting him to movements. Using them as remote triggers, he dispatched threats without needing to be physically present.
After about an hour of searching, Vanitas felt the magic power in the air skyrocket. Looking up, he saw Zen’s comet streaking across the dark sky.
It was a breathtaking sight.
But he had no time to admire it.
“….!”
His instincts screamed in warning.
Bang!
Before he could react, a force slammed into him, sending him flying through the air.
Even with all his perception buffs, the Archdemon had only registered a split second before impact.
◆ Provides a passive barrier that absorbs minor magical damage.
◆ Gradually enhances physical endurance and stamina.
Thankfully, his passive barrier absorbed some of the blow, but he could feel the sharp pain of cracked ribs.
“Khh…!”
Gritting his teeth, Vanitas forced himself to his feet, eyes locking onto the figure before him.
There it stood.
“….”
The Archdemon.
The first time he had encountered it, he truly hadn’t expected it.
He had barely escaped with his limbs attached after forcing himself to the Grandmaster spell—which propelled him far enough to get away from the Archdemon, destroying several trees in the process.
This time, however, he was prepared.
◆ Increases movement speed and agility by 20%.
Swoosh——!
Vanitas moved with the speed akin to a knight, narrowly dodging the Archdemon’s attack.
Without missing a beat, he slammed his gauntleted hand onto the ground, casting his spell—Stone Cannon.
Several stones shot to life, spinning like a drill before launching forward.
Though an Intermediate spell, Vanitas’s stigmata-enhanced the mana output to push its explosive output to the level of a Grandmaster spell.
Boom—!
The air trembled as the projectiles struck, explosions resounding through the Archdemon’s body, leaving shallow punctures in its dark, writhing flesh.
———!
The Archdemon let out a guttural roar as dark magic swirled, forming some sort of disfigured flower.
But Vanitas was already moving.
◆ Temporarily strengthens mana circuits, allowing for smoother flow.
Without a chant, spells surged from his fingertips. Flamewaves, Windblades, and Earth Cannons relentlessly bombarded the Archdemon.
Dust clouded his vision, obscuring his target. As the haze settled, Vanitas’s gaze swept the area, remaining mobile.
“….!”
Bang!
He barely had time to react as the Archdemon appeared from his blind spot, striking with unnatural monstrous force.
Vanitas instinctively raised his arms, layering his body with barrier magic while triggering his active buffs.
◆ Reinforces defensive spells, extending their duration.
◆ Absorbs minor impact damage, reducing fatigue during prolonged combat.
◆ Enhances resistance to elemental effects.
The impact sent him skidding back as the barriers crackled, shattering under the pressure. Without wasting a second, he moved once again.
“Disgusting piece of shit.”
Though he said it in Korean instead of the common language used in this world.
Boom——!
“You speak my mother tongue,” Vanitas said, launching another attack. “Yet you look nothing like them.”
For someone like him—a natural-born Korean—finding himself transmigrated was one thing, but facing a humanoid figure that spoke Korean, yet resembled nothing human felt rather distasteful.
As he fought—dodging, tanking hits, groaning in pain, getting blown away, spitting blood, bruised, and delivering the same punishment to the demon—a sudden thought surfaced in his mind.
“….”
It was an odd trait, but Chae Eun-woo preferred seeing cuts over bruises.
The sight of internal bleeding—those dark, ugly marks—brought back painful memories of his childhood with his aunt.
She had always vented her frustrations on his little sister, Chae Eun-ah, whenever she made a mistake. But as the older brother, Eun-woo had always stepped in, taking the punishment meant for her.
Because of that, he despised bruises—on himself and others. Those reminders of a past he wanted to forget.
He’d rather endure the sting of a cut than see those marks again.
——Eun-woo….
“….”
Vanitas froze for a moment, thinking he heard the demon speak his name. Before he could process it, another attack landed, sending blood spraying around him.
Was he just…. hearing things?
Because this demon….
This language it spoke…. was reminiscent of Korean?
After all, it was only Archdemons capable of this sort of speech—this demonic tongue they spoke.
Riiiing—
Indeed, he was.
That familiar ringing sound. The same sound that always came when things took a turn for the worse.
Like the time his aunt had hurt him so badly he ended up in the hospital. The doctors never questioned her, believing the lie that it was just another school fight.
Or perhaps, that time, in a fit of anger, his aunt had thrown a boiling pot of water at Eun-ah, but narrowly missing her and searing Eun-woo’s arm instead as he shielded his little sister.
The times she would grab whatever was closest—a wooden spoon, a belt, even a broken umbrella—and strike them until her anger subsided.
Or that one night when she’d lock them outside in the cold.
That long, freezing night, shivering, huddled together on the doorstep, waiting for morning to come.
And those days when….
“….”
And despite it all, the neighbors said nothing. The teachers didn’t say anything despite the continuous absences.
No one ever helped.
No one ever cared.
Maybe it was his fault.
Maybe it was that desperate need for a guardian, no matter how cruel, that kept him from leaving.
Maybe it was because the boy, who once lived in comfort, couldn’t comprehend that he could fight back.
That he should fight back.
Or maybe, deep down, he thought they needed her.
That they couldn’t survive without her.
“….”
And because of that, it all inevitably led to that…..
That night.
“….”
His stomach twisted.
These memories—ones he would give anything to forget—served as a reminder.
Proof that he was not Vanitas Astrea, but Chae Eun-woo.
Without the memories of his past, the relentless self-deprecation, the self-blame, and the scars left by his upbringing, he knew Vanitas Astrea would have swallowed him whole.
———!
The Archdemon’s grotesque form seemed to twist before his eyes, shifting into something else as it overlapped with it.
Familiar.
All too familiar.
“….”
That hair. Those eyes. That smile, stretching into something that made him freeze.
——Eun-woo….
Something that shouldn’t be here.
——Did I cross the line?
No, someone.
“….Ahjumma.”
* * *
“Let me see, let me see,” Sophia insisted, leaning closer to the telescope despite the comet already streaking across the sky, visible to the naked eye.
“Damn,” Ezra muttered, eyes locked onto the glowing trail above.
To witness Zen’s Comet in their generation. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Charlotte sat on the ground, hugging her knees as her gaze was fixed on the sky. The comet’s brilliance reflected in her irises, her lips slightly parted in awe.
It reminded her of something her brother once told her.
Back when he was different.
Before he had completely changed.
‘Do you know about asterisms, Charlotte?’
——Are they like constellations?
‘Not exactly. Constellations are official. Asterisms are… different. They’re smaller patterns made of stars from different constellations.’
‘People make them up. They draw their own lines. Create their own meanings. I like to think of them as wildflowers growing between the cracks of stone.’
——Wildflowers?
A question the young Charlotte asked.
He had looked away then, staring at the stars above.
‘Yeah. You see, wildflowers don’t need perfect conditions to bloom. They grow in places where nothing else should. Between cracks in the pavement, on barren hillsides…. anywhere they can find the smallest chance to bloom’
‘Asterisms are like that. People create them out of what’s already there. They fill in the gaps. To find the beauty in places no one else might think to look.’
She remembered how his voice had softened even more, as if he were speaking to himself rather than her.
‘People are a lot like asterisms, you know? They try to shine in their own way, even when no one’s looking.’
——I don’t get it, brother.
After all, Charlotte was still five around that time. They were all big words to her.
Now, sitting under the night sky with Zen’s comet streaking across it, those words echoed in her mind.
Extending her hand, she traced the sky with her eyes, drawing invisible lines between the stars.
Back then, she hadn’t understood what he meant. But now, she did.
No matter the circumstances, people tried their best to fit, to live, to find their meaning.
They were like wildflowers under the asterisms growing in unexpected places. They went unnoticed, yet thrived in their own ways.
Even wildflowers, blooming in cracks and corners, reached for the sun.
They didn’t ask why they were there. They didn’t seek to bloom in a garden of their choosing.
They simply grew. Endured the storms and seasons. And proved their existence in the smallest ways.
“Wildflowers under the asterisms….”
It was a funny thought. Two things that had no real connection, yet somehow, they fit together.
“They actually don’t….”
Laughing to herself, Charlotte suddenly realized the others had gone quiet. She turned to find them all staring at her with wide eyes.
“Uh…. yes?”
“That….” Elysia pointed behind her. “Did you do that?”
“Huh?” Charlotte blinked, confused. “Do wha….”
Her voice trailed off as she followed Elysia’s gaze—and then she saw it.
“…..”
A cluster of wisps, glowing in every color imaginable, fluttered in the air.
Reds, blues, greens, and golds—twinkling like tiny stars—began to shift and align.
Slowly, they arranged themselves into a familiar shape, forming the shape of a broken crown.
A constellation Charlotte knew all too well.
“The Fallen Crown….”
It was a constellation known in ancient texts.
A ruler who was once kind and wise, but was later consumed by grief.
“….”
Charlotte swallowed hard.
It reminded her of Vanitas.
Her brother used to be kind and gentle. But had changed due to circumstances.
“Looks like we’ve found who might get the comet’s permanent effects,” Astrid said with a smirk.
Charlotte looked at the colorful spirits floating in the air. Without realizing it, she had guided them, shaping them into stars, as if she were painting on a blank canvas with the cosmos.
Meanwhile, Astrid decided to test her own abilities. Clenching and unclenching her fists, she focused on her stigmata.
「Magnetism」.
She opened her eyes and fixed her gaze on a tree nearby.
Slowly, she raised her hand and curled her fingers. The ground trembled slightly, and the sound of roots being pulled free resounded through the air.
———!
Bit by bit, the tree lifted off the ground and floated.
Astrid felt a familiar sharp pain in her head, but this time, it was almost unnoticeable.
“….”
Encouraged, she tried again. With her telekinesis, she focused on several trees at once. One by one, they rose into the air.
“Wow~” Sophia stared in awe.
Astrid smiled to herself. Before, lifting even a single tree would have left her in agony.
But now, with the comet’s influence, she could move six at the same time with barely any strain.
“Let me try too!”
One by one, the others began testing their abilities.
Astrid pushed herself further, reaching her limit at the eighth tree.
Once satisfied, she carefully placed them back on the ground, using an Intermediate Gaia spell—Root Recovery—to secure them in place.
Turning around, she noticed the others experiencing significant improvements in their abilities.
If they could adjust to these changes, there was a real chance their skills would see lasting benefits even after the comet passed.
“….?”
Everyone was testing their powers except for Ezra.
Astrid walked over to him. “Why aren’t you trying?”
“I don’t see the point,” he said calmly.
Astrid frowned. “No point? Come on, that’s just overconfidence at this point. You know I’m only ten points behind you, right?”
“I know.” Ezra shrugged. “But like I said, there’s no point. If I thought it would actually make a difference, I’d try.”
Astrid crossed her arms. “I don’t get it. Then why’d you even come?”
“The comet,” he said. “I just wanted to see it.”
Astrid stared at him for a moment before sighing. “….You’re weird.”
Leaving it at that, she walked over to Charlotte, who was tracing her fingertips through the air.
Sitting down next to her, Astrid watched quietly for a while before closing her eyes.
Professor Vanitas’s words from earlier lingered in her mind. They felt more like a warning than simple advice.
Despite telling herself she would stop, she monitored him through Becky—just in case.
“….”
Then, she saw it.
Her eyes snapped open, and she turned to Charlotte.
Charlotte noticed the change in Astrid’s demeanor and frowned.
“What is it?”
“….The Professor.”